Reward out for pizzeria killer

Adam Wright and Lisa Roberson The Chronicle-Telegram LORAIN — Lorain police are hoping a $2,000 reward will lead to the capture of whoever fatally shot the owner of a popular pizza parlor Saturday night. Lorain police Sgt. Mark Carpentiere said Monday that no arrests have been made in the shooting, despite rumors circulating within the city to the contrary. “The word’s pretty much out there,” Carpentiere said. “But no arrests have been made.” David Kowalczyk, 43, owner of Granny D’s Pizza on East Erie Avenue, was shot around 11:40 p.m. while he was in the kitchen of the restaurant, Carpentiere said. County Coroner Paul Matus said he could not comment on how many times Kowalczyk was shot or where because it was part of the police investigation. “Someone came in and shot him,” Carpentiere said. “Everything else is being investigated as to why and what happened.” Carpentiere would not discuss whether the shooting was the result of an attempted robbery, or why two employees who were also in the restaurant at the time were unharmed. He said the restaurant had been robbed in the past, but that robbery wasn’t a serious problem there. “We’re not saying a whole lot at this point,” he said. “It’s just too early to say anything.” He would not say whether the two employees saw anything or if there were any other witnesses that night. Neighbors in the mostly residential area said they didn’t know what was going on until they saw police cruisers pull up, and no one heard the gunshots because they likely blended in with fireworks that were going off all night. Police are also investigating whether the shooting was related to a pair of armed robberies that occurred within the last 10 days at Chapman’s Grocery on G Street and Jack and Diane’s Lounge on West Erie Avenue. At Jack and Diane’s, the robber shot a customer in the stomach who attempted to tackle him. Police believe the same man robbed both of those locations and have offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, but no one has been charged yet, Carpentiere said. “Whether all three of these incidents are related or not, we don’t know,” he said. Anyone with information on any of the incidents can call Lorain police detectives at (440) 204-2105. Contact Adam Wright at 329-7151 or awright@chroniclet.com. Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.